Electromagnetic winding and rewinding mechanism.



P. G. BROGKETT. ELECTROMAGNETIC WINDING AND REWINDING MECHANISM.

- APPLICATION FILED APILB, 1911.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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I. G. BROGKETT. ELECTROMAGNETIC WINDING AND REWINDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION IILED AIR.6, 1911.

III/II m E \k di y COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO-,WASHINGTON, D cv F. G. BROGKETT. ELECTROMAGNETIC WINDING AND REWINDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APB.6 19 11.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

FREDERICK G. BROCKETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTROMAGNETIC WINDING AND REWINDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6, 1911.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Serial No. 619,252.

lb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREniinioK G. BROOK- E'l'T, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electromagnetic Winding and Rewinding Mechanism, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact. description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had. to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object to produce a simple and reliable means for winding and rewinding music in an automatic musical instrument.

A further object of my invention is to insure that the direction of movement of the music will not be reversed before the music has been completely unwound or rewound.

A further object of my invention is to insure a proper tension on the music during the unwinding and rewinding operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for permitting the music to be removed and replaced quickly and conveniently.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1. is a front elevation of a musicholding attachment for automatic pianos arranged in accordance with a preferred form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a central, vertical longitudinal section through the attachment; Fig. 3 is a view looking toward the right in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a diagram of the electric circuits.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent a take-up roll anda rewinding roll revolubly mounted in a suitable supporting frame. The members 1 and 2, in the arrangement illustrated, are supposed to be fixtures of the instrument, the music sheet being secured at one end to the member 2. The supporting frame may take any suitable form, that illustrated comprising a base 3 and separated upright standards or posts 4 and 5 between which the rolls are mounted.

In accordance with one feature of my invention I mount the rewinding roll, on which the music is initially placed, in such a manner that it may be swung into a position for permitting the music to be removed or placed in position by a simple manipulation and without taking the re-winding roll completely out of its bearings. To this end I mount in the upper end of the standard 5 a bearing member 6 which is supported so as to be movable angularly about a vertical axis. The shaft 7 of the rewinding roll projects horizontally into or through the bearing member 6 and is therefore supported so as to be rotatable about its own axis and capable of swinging on a vertical axis. The shaft 7 does not reach to the standard 4: but alin-es with a short shaft- 8 which extends through the standard 4 and into the adjacent end of the roll. The rewinding roll consists of a cylindrical body portion 9 which may be permanently secured to a flanged head 10 at the end adjacent to the standard 5 and 6 detachably engaged with a similar head 11 at the other end. The sheet of music is secured to the member 9 in any suitable manner. The member 11 is preferably provided with an elongated hub 12 which affords a good bearing for both of the shafts 7 and 8. Surrounding the shaft 7 between the bearing member 6 and the head 10 is a spring 18 which tends to push the rewinding roll and its shaft toward the left as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. The parts are so proportioned that the rewinding roll and its shaft may be drawn back against the tension of its spring far enough to permit the hub 12 to become clear of the shaft 8. This leaves one end of the re-winding roll free so that it may be swung laterally about the pivotal axis of the bearing member 6. After the re-winding roll has been swung out far enough, the head 11 may be removed and the music slipped off. A new piece of music may then be placed in position, the head 11 put in place, and the entire roll swung back 5 the rolls in such a way that the music may be unwound and rewound under a uniform tension, without danger that there will be an accidental reversal of the direction of movement of the music at any time. To this end I make use of magnetic clutches which are controlled by the music sheet so as alternately to energize the clutches as the ends of the sheet are reached. I prefer to con struct the clutches in such a manner that they will serve as friction brakes when deenergized, thus producing a slight drag upon the driven roll and maintaining the music under proper tension. The clutches may of course take various forms, that illustrated being simple and one which I have found to be satisfactory. In the arrangement shown there is' placed upon each of the shafts 8 and 15, between the standard 1 and the adjacent end of the corresponding roll, a disk 16, the disks being secured to the shafts so as to rotate therewith. Each of the disks is provided with one or more thimbles 17 extending parallel with the rolls and each loosely holding a magnet comprising acoil 18 wound around a core 19 of magnetic material. Each of the rolls is provided with a ring 20 of magnetic material on the end adjacent to the disks; the rings serving as armatures for the magnets and being adapted to be held magnetically against the cores when the magnets are energized. The cores may be frictionally held against the rings 20 with a yielding pressure by means of suitable springs 21. Consequently the cores of the magnets serve as brake shoes when either disk is moving relatively to the roll with which it is associated. It will be seen that the cores of the magnets are constantly held against the cooperating rings so that there is no appreciable mover ent of the magnets in the thimbles. Each of the disks is provided on its outer face with a plate 22 of fiber or other suitable insulating material carrying collector rings 23 and 2-4. One terminal of the magnet or magnets on each disk is connected to the ring 23 and the other terminal to the ring 2%. Brushes 25 and 26, mounted upon the standard 4 and engaging with the collector rings serve to carry current for energizing the magnets. It will thus be seen that each roll has associated therewith an electromagnetic clutch one member of which, (the armature), is secured thereto, and the other member of which is free to rotate independently thereof. Consequently by energizing either clutch, the roll with which it is associated will be positively driven and will drive the other roll through the music sheet. The clutch which happens to be deenergized serves a brake on the idle roll, causes it to run smoothly and maintains a proper uni; form tension on the music.

Instead of making and breaking the circuits for the clutches at the switches controlled directly by the music sheet, I prefer to interpose between the clutches and these switches an electromagnetic switch mechanism which will. take care of any strength of current which may be desired for the clutches and permit the use of small, light switch devices adjacent to the sheet of music. To this end I have provided a double-throw switch the movable arm 27 of which is adapted to be actuated by electromagnets 28 and 29. When the magnet 28 is energized the movable arm of the switch is swung into engagementwith a stationary contact piece 30, while upon the energization of the magnet 29, the arm is swung into engagement with the movable contact 231. The magnets 28 and 29 are controlled by circuit-controlling devices associated with the music sheet. These circuit-controlling devices may take various forms. In the arrangement shown. the roll 1 is provided with a small metal contact strip and the roll 2 has a similar contact piece 33. On some stationary part, such as the tracker bar 34L, is mounted an arm 35 which carries two sets of brushes, 36 and 37; the brushes 36 lying directly above the contact member and the brushes 37 above the contact member 33. \Vhcn the rolls are empty, both sets of brushes are free to engage with the cooperating contact pieces on the rolls. When a piece of music is wound upon either roll it covers the contact piece carried by that roll and breaks the electrical continuity between it and the brushes above it. The nzusic is preferably slotted at the ends so that, when it has been almost completely unwound from either roll, the brushes adjacent to that roll are permitted to extend through a slot in the music and engage with the underlying contact pieces.

In Figs. 1 to I have not attempted to show the electrical connections, since these can be best illustrated in a wiring diagram. Referring to Fig. 4, the wiring diagram, 38 represents a sheet of music adapted to be wound up on the rolls 1 and 2 and having near the opposite ends thereof elongated slots 39 and 10 so positioned transversely of the sheet that they register with the contact pieces 32 and respectively. In the diagram, the sheet of music is illustrated as wound completely on the roll 2, the contact piece 83 being concealed and the contact piece 82 being exposed through the Slot 39 and bridging the brushes 36. A circuit may be traced from the battery through the coil of magnet 28, through the brushes 36 and contact piece back to the battery. Consequently a circuit is completed through the battery and through the magnet 28 and this magnet is energized and swings the movable switch member 27 into engagen'ient with the stationary switch member 30. A

second circuit may now be traced from the right hand terminal of a battery 200 or other suitable source of current to the brush of the lower clutch (the clutch associated with the unwinding roll) through the collar ring 23, through the magnet coils 18, to collar ring 24, to brush 26, through the switch members and 27, and thence back to the battery. Consequently in this position of the switch the unwinding clutch is energized. The slot 39 is placed at the beginning of the sheet and therefore the circuit connections, when the music is placed in the instrument, are such as to throw in the clutch for unwinding the music. After the slot 39 passes out from under the brushes 36, the portion of the music intervening between the brushes and the contact piece 32 interrupts the circuit through the magnet 28 and the latter is deenergized, but the main switch remains in the position I illustrated in the diagram until the electromagnet 29 is energized. The electromagnet 29 cannot become energized until the music has been entirely unwound from the rewinding roll and wound upon the unwinding roll. lVhen this occurs the contact piece 33 engages with the brushes 37 and places them in electrical connection with each other. The bridging of brushes 37 conr pletes a circuit through the battery 100 and the electromagnet 29, similar to the circuit previously traced through the battery and electromagnet 28. Consequently, the electromagnet 28 being now deenergized, the movable switch member is swung toward the right into engagement with the stationary switch member 31 and a circuit is closed through the source of current 200 and the upper clutch and the rewinding drum becomes the driving drum, reversing the direction of travel of the music and causing it to be wound up again upon the rewinding roll.

It will be seen that whenever either of the electromagnets 2S and 29 is energized, the other is deenergized and consequently there is no possibility of having both clutches energized at the same time. Furthermore, each of the electromagnets 28 and 29 remains energized only a very short time and becomes deenergized as soon as the corresponding contact strip moves out from under the brushes. Therefore it is impossible for the switch to be accidentally operated at any point between the ends of the music sheet and therefore all danger of accidental reversal due to the throwing in of the wrong clutch is avoided.

Any suitable motive power may be employed for driving the clutches. In the arrangement shown there is fixed to the shaft 8 a pulley 41 over which runs a belt 42 driven in any suitable manner and guided by idler pulleys 43 and 44 adjacent to the pulley 4L1. The disk member of the upper clutch is therefore driven directly by the pulley 11.

Any suitable driving connection between the upper clutch and the lower clutch may be provided. In the arrangement shown, the outer end of the shaft 8 is provided with a friction cone 15 above which is revolubly supported an oppositely-arranged friction cone 16. The cone as is driven from the cone 15 through an endless belt 47 which lies between and is engaged by both of the cones. A. small pulley e18, rotating with the cone 16, is belted to a larger pulley 4L9 carried on a countershaft 50. A small. pulley 50 is in turn belted to a larger pulley 52 secured upon the outer end of the shaft Consequently the shaft 15 and the clutch member carried thereby are driven at a much lower speed than the shaft 8 and its clutch member. Therefore, while the instrument is playing, the music is slowly unwound from the upper roll and wound upon the lower roll. The upper clutch is deenergized and simply acts as a brake or drag to maintain the sheet under a slight tension and hold it taut over the tracker bar. hen the sheet has been completely unwound, the lower clutch is deenergized and becomes the brake, while the upper clutch becomes the driving member for the sheet and the sheet is rewound upon the upper roll. The shaft 8 revolves at a much higher speed than the shaft 15 and therefore the rewinding of the sheet of music is very rapid; the difference in the rewinding speed and the unwinding speed depending upon the ratio of the pulleys which connect the two clutches together.

I claim:

1. In combination, a take-up roll and a re-winding roll, electromagnetic clutches each including a member connected mechanically with one of the rolls so as to be rotatable therewith, and a cooperating clutch member of magnetic material mechanically disconnected from the roll, one of said clutch members of each of the clutches having an energizing coil for magnetizing the same, energizing circuits for said coils, switch devices controlled by a sheet of music on said rolls for governing said circuits, and means for driving the members of the clutches which are mechanically disconnected from the rolls.

2. In combination, a take-up roll and a rewinding roll, means for revolubly supporting said rolls, electromagnetic clutches connected with said rolls and each including two members normally in frictional engagement with each other, means for driving one member of one of said clutches, a driving connection between the latter member and the corresponding member of the other clutch, and means located so as to be controlled by a sheet of music on said rolls for governing said clutches.

3. In combination, a take-up roll and a rewinding roll, means for revolubly supporting said rolls, electromagnetic clutches connected with said rolls and each including two members normally in frictional engagement with each other, means for driving one member of one of said clutches, a driving connection between the latter member and the corresponding member of the other clutch, and means located so as to be controlled by a sheet of music on said rolls for alternately energizing said clutches.

l. In combination, a take-up roll and a rewinding roll, electromagnetic clutch members arranged adjacent to corresponding ends of said rolls, said rolls having portions of magnetic material at said ends to serve as armatures for said clutch members, means for driving one of said clutch members, a driving connection between said clutch members, and means located so as to be controlled by a sheet of music on said rolls for energizing and deenergizing said clutch members.

5. In combination, a take-up roll and a rewinding roll, electromagnetic clutch members arranged adjacent to corresponding ends of said rolls, said rolls having portions of magnetic material at said ends to serve as armatures for said clutch members, means for normally maintaining said armatures in frictional contact with said clutch members, means for driving one of said clutch mem bers, and means located so as to be con trolled by a sheet of music on said rolls for energizing and deenergizing said clutch members.

6. In combination, a take-up roll and a rewinding roll, means for revolubly supporting said rolls, members mounted adjacent to corresponding ends of the rolls so as to be rotatable independently of the rolls, a magnet carried by each of said members,

cores for said magnets, each of said rolls having a portion of magnetic material adapted to engage with the adjacent core, means for driving one of said members, a driving connection between said members, and means located so as to be controlled by a sheet of music on said rolls for energizing and deenergizing said magnet-s.

7. In combination, a take-up roll and a rewinding roll, means for revolubly supporting said rolls, members mounted adjacent to corresponding ends of the rolls so as to be rotatable independently of the rolls, a magnet carried by each of said 1nembers, a core for each of said magnets, each of said rolls having a portion of magnetic material adapted to engage with the adjacent core, means for yieldingly pressing said cores into frictional engagement with said magnetic portions on the rolls, means for driving one of said members, a driving connection between said members, and means located so as to be controlled by a sheet of music on said rolls for energizing and denergizing said magnets.

8. In combination, a take-up roll and a. rewinding roll, means for revolubly supporting said rolls, electromagnetic clutches connected with said rolls, means for driving one member of one of said clutches, a driving connection between the aforesaid member and the corresponding member of the other clutch, means including a switch for energizing said clutches, electromagnetic actuating means for said switch, and means located so as to be controlled by a sheet of music on said roll for governing said electrcmagnetic actuating means.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK G. BROGKETT.

Witnesses IVM. F. FREUDENREIGH, RUBY V. BRYDens.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

